Where did Pink Lady® come from?
The original Cripps Pink variety is a natural cross which came out of a breeding program in Western Australia. Over time, two additional derived varieties, Rosy Glow and Lady in Red, have been approved by the Pink Lady® trademark owner, APAL, for inclusion in the Pink Lady® program. However, to be branded Pink Lady® and wear the ‘flowing heart’ logo, the apple also needs to meet specific brand and quality benchmarks enforced and protected by licences.
Put simply, Pink Lady® apples come from:
The Pink Lady® International Quality Specification
An international quality specification has been developed to ensure consistency of taste, texture and appearance of Pink Lady® apples throughout the world. This single quality specification applies in all territories.
The international Pink Lady® quality specification is focused on eating quality (brix and firmness) and colour – attributes which, along with its unique flavour, define the characteristic of the Pink Lady® brand apple. The quality specification is purposely attainable and inflexible. Suppliers/exporters/importers are compelled at all times to ship and sell only fruit which meets the specification:
The Pink Lady® Quality Manual
The Pink Lady® Quality Manual has been developed to assist suppliers/exporters/importers to meet the Pink Lady® International Quality Specification by providing direction and instruction on how to assess and select fruit to be branded Pink Lady®.
Specifically, the Pink Lady® Quality Manual combines the Pink Lady® International Quality Specification with:
The Pink Lady® Quality Manual is provided to all licensed Pink Lady® exporters, importers and retailers.